"You will go to the elephants' graveyard": world champion issues harsh warning to Ronaldo
The situation is catastrophic
France's Bixente Lizarazu, a former World and European champion, has issued a strongly worded warning to Cristiano Ronaldo about the way his career with the Portugal national team could end. The "ego" that drove his rise to the top, he suggests, could become his greatest adversary in the final stage of his journey.
According to the Portuguese newspaper "Record", Lizarazu held the Portuguese Football Federation, coach Jorge Jesus and Ronaldo responsible for the current crisis. Letting the dispute drag on in this manner would be a "grave mistake", he warned, given the standing the Al-Nassr captain holds in the history of Portuguese football.
Ending Ronaldo's relationship with the national team this way would be catastrophic for his image, the former France international stressed. He insisted on the need to find a formula that preserves the player's standing and gives him a farewell befitting his exceptional career with Portugal.
Great players face real difficulties as they grow older. Lizarazu pointed out that Ronaldo's biggest challenge lies in accepting the decline of some of his physical abilities, after spending his career presenting himself as a player who never stops and knows no limits.
The solution, the 1998 World Cup winner believes, lies in a clear dialogue between Ronaldo, Jesus and the Portuguese Football Federation that defines the player's role explicitly, whether by playing for set periods or being rested in some matches. Promising him playing time and then keeping him on the bench could undermine trust between the two parties, he warned.
Then Lizarazu linked the crisis to the competitive nature of Ronaldo's personality. The "ego" was one of the secrets of his success, he explained, driving him to work in an exceptional manner and break records. Now it could turn against him if he does not accept the demands of the final stage of his career.
His message ended with a harsh warning to Ronaldo: "This was your strength, but it is now your worst enemy, because you have reached the age you have reached, and you will end up in the elephants' graveyard, I guarantee you that."
